City profile · Minnesota · Census ACS 2023

Medicine Lake, MN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Medicine Lake - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

541
Residents
$161,250
Median income
$1,014,500
Median home
$1,709
Median rent (state)

Medicine Lake - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Medicine Lake places in the 96th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

96th
percentile, household income
97th
percentile, home value
68th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Medicine Lake, MN

Minnesota's Medicine Lake is a small town, with 541 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $161,250 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.4%. Home values in Medicine Lake run a median of $1,014,500, and the median resident age is 44.9 years. 71.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 68.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 4 residential building permits were authorized in Medicine Lake (Building Boom), up 300% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.

Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Minnesota at 98.6 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,709 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Minnesota run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 98.3 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

541 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Minnesota

Median Household Income

$161,250 /yr

Poverty 1.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

98.6 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average

How does Medicine Lake compare to other US cities?

Where Medicine Lake sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 96% higher than other cities
Home value 97% pricier than other cities
Median rent 68% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Medicine Lake against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Minnesota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Minnesota-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Medicine Lake's strongest outlier among Minnesota cities

Among the 774 Minnesota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Medicine Lake ranks #6 - the 99th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Medicine Lake only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#14 of 775
98th percentile in Minnesota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 785
77th percentile in Minnesota
Median Home Value
#6 of 774
99th percentile in Minnesota
Poverty Rate
#645 of 785
17th percentile in Minnesota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#12 of 784
98th percentile in Minnesota

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Minnesota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

96thIncome percentile

96th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Medicine Lake's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$1,014,500 3rd percentile more affordable than 3% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Medicine Lake $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Medicine Lake, MN Medicine Lake, MN's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Medicine Lake, MN-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Medicine Lake, MN median $161,250/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Medicine Lake, MN's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Medicine Lake, MN. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 71.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 68.4%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
541
Median Income
$161,250
Median Home Value
$1,014,500
Median Age
44.9
Poverty Rate
1.4%
Labor force participation
68.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
71.0%

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
0 residents500 residents1,000 residents1,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 337 residents 1,342 residents ▲ +298.2%
Medicine Lake's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
4
housing units authorized
Single-Family
4
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
7.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 532
2024 4

Permit volume increased 300% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
78.9%
Carpool
1.1%
Public Transit
0.7%
Walk
0.4%
Work from Home
19.0%

Based on 284 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Minnesota - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$95
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Minnesota state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Minnesota state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Medicine Lake sits in

Cost of Living Index
98.6
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,709/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Minnesota

Ranier
541 people
Taconite
541 people
Hill City
543 people
White Earth
543 people
Balaton
544 people
Hamburg
544 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Medicine Lake's 541 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Goessel, KS
541 people
Caneyville, KY
541 people
Mulliken, MI
541 people
Atlantic, NC
541 people
Gallaway, TN
541 people
McDonald, TN
541 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Medicine Lake's $161,250 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Bellevue, WA
$161,300 median income
Taylor Lake, TX
$161,191 median income
Bell Acres, PA
$161,184 median income
Eastvale, CA
$161,322 median income
Atlantic Beach, NY
$161,344 median income
Cobb Island, MD
$161,141 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Medicine Lake, MN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Medicine Lake, MN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 92.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.1% White 92.0% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 1.1% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 4.1% Two or more races 2.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Medicine Lake compares to nearby Minnesota cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Medicine Lake (this city) 541 $161,250
Ranier 541 $81,389
Taconite 541 $100,089
Hill City 543 $39,583
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MN Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Medicine Lake, MN?

What is the population of Medicine Lake, MN? +

Medicine Lake, MN has a population of 541 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Medicine Lake, MN? +

Medicine Lake households earn a median of $161,250 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Medicine Lake? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Medicine Lake; the closest available measure is the Minnesota state average, a cost of living index of 98.6 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Minnesota vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Medicine Lake, MN? +

Homes in Medicine Lake carry a median value of $1,014,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.